Aldi Launch Sports Fund

Scottish walking football groups looking for a little financial assistance may consider this funding stream. 
The supermarket chain is offering grants to sports clubs based in Scotland to support the work they are doing in their local community. The funding is for groups located near where an Aldi store is operating. 

Aldi set up the fund as part of its goal to increase the positive impact it has on local communities and to help as many sports clubs as possible. 

The one-off grants of up to £500 can be used to cover a range of costs including: 

- The purchase of new team strips. 
- The purchase of equipment (Defibrillator etc)
- Subsidising transport costs. 

For more information and application forms: 

https://www.aldi.co.uk/scottishsportfund

Spartans Connections Community Walking Football

Several years ago the Spartans Football Club achieved The Scottish Football Association Disability Club Award due to the great work they carry out with players who have a disability. 

Fairly recently the group created a walking football section open to all which has now grown to include a wide range of community participants. This is an incredible example of how walking football can bring together adults of all ages, genders and abilities/disabilities. 

The senior members of the group are off to Santa Ponsa in Majorca from 10th to 14th May to participate in their WF tournament and Walking Football Scotland wishes them well. 

They meet every Monday at Spartans Community Football  Academy in Edinburgh from 12.00 to 13.00 and all members of the community are most welcome to come along and get involved in this tremendous initiative.

 For more information contact Spartans Connections team manager Garry Betts on garrybetts@spartanscfa.com 

International Women's Day - 8th March

As part of International Women's Day, Walking Football Scotland would like to encourage more women to get involved in the walking game.
There are already a few female only sessions at Aberdeen and Montrose however most of the walking football sessions across Scotland welcome both men and women. 
It is unfortunate that back in the 60's and 70's women were not particularly encouraged to play football so very few women currently over 50 had the opportunity to play. 
Girls and woman’s football is now one of the fastest growing sports in the UK and in the next few years there should be a huge growth in female walking footballers as the younger girls "mature".
Ironically one of the early pioneers of walking football is a woman. 
Back in 2012, Vivian Wallace as part of Midlothian Council's Ageing Well team introduced walking football into their programme to persuade older folks to become more active. The rest they say is walking football history!
Vivian is now a Trustee on the Board of Walking Football Scotland and along with Scotland's only football world cup winner Rose Reilly are tremendous ambassadors for women's walking football.

Famous old name affiliates to Walking Football Scotland

Walking Football Scotland are delighted to announce it's newest member, one of the oldest names in Scottish football, Vale of Leven.
In the early days of Scottish football, the original Vale of Leven (based in Alexandria) were real powers in the land. Vale won the Scottish Cup three times in succession (1877, 1878 and 1879). In 1878 they travelled down to England and beat the FA Cup winners, The Wanderers, 3-1 at Kennington Oval. The Wanderers had the advantage that the game was played under the English throw-in rule, but the Vale's Scottish passing game proved superior to the English game of individual dribbling.

Vale of Leven was a founder member of the Scottish Football League when it was formed in 1890 and although the old senior club fell on hard times in the 1920's a new junior club was created just after the Second World War and have been prominent in the Scottish Juniors league to this day.
It is a real pleasure to welcome this famous old name to walking football and wish them every success.
The group play every Monday evening from 8.00 to 9.00pm at Vale of Leven Academy, Alexandria and newcomers are most welcome. For more information contact: wdwalkingfootball@gmail.com